1964 Ford Fairlane 500 - Fairlane Funnification

Written
by
Steve Magnante
on March 14, 2005 Always Wanted an Altered-Wheelbase Car But Never Had the Bucks to Buy an Original? Then Step Up With Some Guts and Hack Your Own Match Bash Ride. Follow Along as Richard LeFebvre Shows You How.

There's been renewed interest in altered wheelbase cars lately, and why not? They're sick to look at, fun to drive, and years away from becoming belly-button pass. The few original cars that surface every now and then are too valuable, too frail, or are ridiculously dangerous to be driven or raced, but who needs an original? You can build one yourself, and we're here to show how using basic construction techniques and a little bit of freestyle ingenuity.

They're called Match Bash cars, and one of the leading practitioners of the wheel-base surgery is Seattle's Richard LeFebvre. Rich's creations can be viewed online at www.performanceking.com, and many have graced these pages in the last few years. Here, for the first time, Rich demonstrates the Match Bash wheelbase alteration technique on a '64 Fairlane 500. These basic techniques are applicable to practically any unibody car.

Moving the Front WheelsAlthough this story focuses on what it takes to relocate the rear suspension, complete Match Bash altered wheelbase insanity is only attained when the front wheels are also shoved ahead some. The easiest way to accomplish this goal is to trash the stock front suspension and replace it with a straight axle and a set of buggy springs. Rich wasn't finished with the steering when we snapped these photos, but the rest of the nose is mocked up and ready for welding. Check it out.